Compatibility Relationships Research Articles

Modeling of flexural behavior of RC beams strengthened with mechanically fastened FRP strips

An alternative to fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) materials adhesively bonded to the concrete substrate is the implementation of mechanically fastened FRP (MF-FRP) systems using steel anchors to secure the laminate to the substrate. The benefit of MF-FRP, compared to adhesive bonding for FRP flexural strengthening, is the speed of installation with unskilled labor, minimal or absent surface preparation under any meteorological condition and immediate use of the strengthened structures. Some of the potential shortcomings are: possible concrete damage during anchoring and limited opportunity of installation in the presence of congested internal reinforcement in the members to be strengthened. Laboratory testing and a number of field applications have shown the effectiveness of the MF-FRP method. In this paper, an analytical model is discussed for reinforced concrete (RC) members strengthened with MF-FRP strips. The model accounts for equilibrium, compatibility and constitutive relationships of the constituent materials; in particular, it accounts explicitly for the slip between the substrate surface and the FRP strip due to the behavior of the fasteners. The proposed flexural model, coupled with the computation algorithm, is able to predict the fundamentals of the behavior of RC flexural members strengthened with MF-FRP strips, in terms of both ultimate and serviceability limit states. Comparisons between the analytical predictions and the experimental results have been successfully performed.

Reproductive Success after Self-pollination and Cross-pollination of Olive Cultivars in Croatia

Olive orchard productivity largely depends on the choice of planted cultivars and their pollination needs. Orchard designs in Croatia are changing because a number of valuable foreign olive cultivars, mostly Italian, have been introduced in this region in the last 30 years. The compatibility relationships of introduced cultivars with autochthonous cultivars are unknown. With the objective of studying reproductive behavior of the most important Croatian cultivars (Drobnica, Lastovka, Levantinka, and Oblica) and their cross-pollination to recently introduced Italian cultivars Leccino and Pendolino, initial and final fruit set in self-pollination versus cross-pollination and free pollination were compared during three flowering seasons. Experiments were conducted in three different orchards (Kastela, Mravince, and Brac) to identify the effect of the environment on reproductive behavior of olive cultivars. The differences of fruit set in five olive cultivars after tested pollination treatments appeared at the time of initial fruit set. Increased final fruit set under cross-pollinations was observed when compared with self-pollination for all olive cultivars in all experimental orchards. In the Mravince orchard, a positive response to cross-pollination was consistent, and fruit set increased under cross-pollination in all cultivars and years with the exception of ‘Levantinka’ in which no significant differences were noticed between self-pollination treatment and cross-pollination treatments in 2005. Variable self-fertility behavior from season to season was found for tested cultivars. A self-incompatibility index (ISI) higher than 0.1 was recorded for ‘Levantinka’ in all experimental years and, therefore, classified it as a partially self-incompatible cultivar. Self-incompatibility response was observed for ‘Lastovka’. The positive response to cross-pollination over self-pollination only in some experimental years classified ‘Drobnica’, ‘Leccino’, and ‘Oblica’ as partially self-incompatible. Results obtained from this study indicated that pollination efficiency is strictly combination-specific. The Italian cultivar, Leccino, was a successful pollen acceptor and pollenizer of most Croatian cultivars. Reciprocal high success in cross-pollination was recorded for ‘Levantinka’ and ‘Oblica’. In the Mravince orchard, ‘Lastovka’, ‘Leccino’, and ‘Oblica’ were efficient pollenizers of ‘Levantinka’ where the simultaneous flowering period was in accordance with their cross-compatibility. ‘Levantinka’ was a good pollenizer for ‘Lastovka’ in the Mravince orchard, and both cultivars entered into the flowering period earlier than other studied cultivars, which was not the case in the other two orchards. The variations in flowering timing among orchards were a consequence of differences in environmental conditions. According to the high fruit sets recorded in ‘Oblica’ after pollination with ‘Leccino’ or ‘Levantinka’, an increase in tree productivity of the acceptor cultivar is expected in the presence of selected pollenizers in all olive-growing regions.

Determination of incompatibility (S) genotypes of sweet cherries in the Hungarian gene-bank by a PCR-based method

The sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) gene-bank collection in Hungary comprises mainly local cultivars. The incompatibility (S) genotypes of 48 accessions from the central region of Hungary were investigated by PCR amplification of the intron regions of the SRNase and SFB genes responsible for compatibility relationships in sweet cherry. The Sgenotypes of 38 accessions were completely determined; they showed various pairs of nine alleles and could be assigned to 15 of the existing incompatibility groups or, in the case of three accessions having the novel genotype S6S13, to the new incompatibility group XLII. For 10 accessions only one S-allele could be identified, as a single S-RNase product was generated and the intron region of the SFB gene of the second allele could not be amplified.

Flower Emasculation as the Cause for Lack of Fruit Set in Japanese Plum Crosses

Flower emasculation is widely used in breeding programs for hybridization of fruit trees. In japanese plum (Prunus salicina), some genetic crosses made by emasculation have resulted in very low or lack of fruit set, but the causes leading to this situation are not clear. In this work, the influence of flower emasculation on fruit set was evaluated in four japanese plum-type cultivars by comparing cross-pollinations performed with and without emasculation. Fruit set and fruit drop in the crosses were characterized until harvest. To ascertain which factors in the reproductive process could be related to the lack of fruit set, compatibility was determined for each cross by the observation of pollen tube growth under the microscope and by polymerase chain reaction. Likewise, the stage of ovule development was observed under the microscope in emasculated and non-emasculated flowers. An analysis of the different pollination treatments and the study of the compatibility relationships helped to dismiss factors that intervene in the reproductive process and to identify flower emasculation as the cause of premature degeneration of ovules and its implication in determining subsequent fruit set.

Storm processes and stochastic geometry

This paper is devoted to a prototype of max-stable models called the storm process. At first its spatial distribution is given in association with different observation supports. Then the compatibility relationships between extremal coefficients at various supports are completely characterized. Particular attention is paid to the special case where the storms are indicator functions of Poisson polytopes. Explicit formulae are found for the extremal coefficients with finite or convex supports. A new algorithm for exactly simulating the Poisson storm process in continuous space is also provided. Overall, the storm process can be used as a benchmark for comparing the performances of several estimators of extremal coefficients, or for model selection.

Pollen-pistil compatibility relationships in some Iranian almond ( Prunus dulcis , Batch) genotypes as revealed by PCR analysis

The identification of pollen-pistil compatibility relationships among almond cultivars and genotypes is very important for breeders and growers. In the present study, PCR based technique was used to identify S-alleles in 10 late blooming almond genotypes. In total, 19 alleles were amplified by five primer pairs in the studied genotypes. The size of bands ranged between 480 - 2000 bp. Seven S-alleles were amplified using AS1II/AMYC5R primer pair, whereas each of the Alsc11/AMYC5R, Pru-C2/Pru-C4R, PruC2/Pru-C5R and Pru-C2/Pru-C6R primer pairs amplified nine different S-alleles. Based on S-allele patterns, all of the studied genotypes were identified as self-incompatible. However, some of the genotypes had only one similar S-allele, all of the genotypes could be used in establishment of commercial orchards based on their blooming times.

An experimental study of the S-Allee effect in the self-incompatible plant Biscutella neustriaca

Homomorphic self-incompatibility (SI) evolved in many plant families to enforce selfing avoidance, and is controlled by a single multiallelic locus (the S-locus). In a fragmented landscape, strong variation in population size and in local density is expected to cause strong variation in allelic diversity at the S-locus, which could generate an Allee effect on female reproductive success by constraining compatible pollen availability. In this experimental study, we aimed at detecting this SI-specific Allee effect (or S-Allee effect) in the endangered species Biscutella neustriaca. We demonstrated the occurrence of a SI mating system in the species and determined compatibility relationships among genotypes through a large set of controlled pollinations. For the experiment, we chose three different pollen receptor genotypes, each compatible with respectively 100, 75 and 25% of four other genotypes, which constituted the pollen sources. We placed different ramets of each receptor at different distances from the pollen sources to control for pollen limitation due to low local density, and we measured the seed set on each receptor plant three times consecutively. Analyses performed with generalized linear mixed models showed that both the distance to the pollen sources and the mate availability due to SI had a significant effect on seed set, with a strong reduction observed when mate availability was limited to 25%. Our results suggest that pollen limitation due to a restriction in compatible mate availability could occur in small or scattered populations exhibiting low allelic diversity at the S-locus.

Smeared Rotating Crack Model for Reinforced Concrete Membrane Elements

This paper presents new constitutive laws for describing the behavior for normal-strength concrete and mild steel bars embedded in concrete. The proposed constitutive laws consider the effect of reinforcement ratio on average stress-strain relationships of cracked concrete and consider the gradual reduction of average stiffness of steel bars embedded in concrete. Equilibrium, compatibility, and constitutive relationships were incorporated into a nonlinear analysis procedure to develop a smeared rotating crack model. The model has the capability of predicting the entire load-deformation response of reinforced concrete membrane elements. Corroboration with data from panel test specimens shows that the model provides good predictions for the entire load-deformation response of elements over a wide range of conditions. Compared to alternative models, the new model was simpler and provided better accuracy in some situations, such as when panels contain heavy amounts of reinforcement in both directions and when panels contain little or no transverse reinforcement.

Comparative analysis between colonization and infection strains starting from statistical methods

Isolated colonization strains of preoperative patients were compared with isolated infection strains of surgical patients, seeking to establish compatibility relationships that can suggest a possible common origin between them. Sixty preoperative patients from Hospital Universitario Pedro Ernesto, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, that have used cephalotin as pre-surgical prophylaxis, were studied as to the intestinal, oropharyngeal and cutaneous colonization for cephalotin-resistant bacteria, using selective culture media. The infection strains were studied through antibiogram analysis of other 2005 surgical patients from the studied clinics. Statistical methods such as Qui-square and Mann-Whitney U tests were employed for comparison of strains as to frequencies of species and numbers of resistance markers to antimicrobials. The cephalotin-resistant microorganism infections represented 62,8% of the infections detected among the 2065 patients. The average number of resistance markers to antimicrobials was higher for the cephalotin-resistant strains. There were no significant differences between colonization and infection strains when compared to frequencies of species and number of resistance markers, for most of the microorganisms. Cephalotin has proved to be an effective marker for the detection of multiresistant strains. The results indicate the possibility of microorganism populations that colonize inpatients to be related to microorganisms that cause infections in these patients.

Darwin's foundation for investigating self-incompatibility and the progress toward a physiological model for S-RNase-based SI

Charles Darwin made extensive observations of the pollination biology of a wide variety of plants. He carefully documented the consequences of self-pollination and described species that were self-sterile but that could easily be crossed with other plants of the same species. He believed that compatibility was controlled by the 'mutual action' of pollen and pistil contents. A genetic model for self-sterility was developed in the early 1900 s based on studies of the compatibility relationships among, what are now referred to as, self-incompatible (SI) Nicotiana species. Today, it is believed that SI in these species is controlled by an interaction between S-RNases produced in the pistil and F-box proteins expressed in pollen and, moreover, that this S-RNase-based SI system is shared by a great diversity of other plant species. Current research is aimed at understanding how the mutual actions of these S-gene products function in the physiological context of pollen tube growth.

Genomic characterization of self-incompatibility ribonucleases (S-RNases) in loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.) (Rosaceae, Pyrinae)

Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.) is a fruit tree species of the Pyrinae subtribe of the Rosaceae that behaves as self incompatible. Since self-incompatibility in the Rosaceae is of the gametophytic type where a stylar ribonuclease (S-RNase) controls the female function of pollen–pistil recognition, consensus primers derived from the alignment of S-RNase sequences from other Pyrinae species were used to search for S-RNases in loquat. As a result, the first four S-RNases were sequenced for this species. The genomic sequences obtained showed the structural features of Pyrinae S-RNases. Moreover, microscopic observations of pollen tube growth in the style confirmed the inter-(in)compatibility relationships predicted from the molecular analyses. Phylogenetic analysis of the deduced amino acid sequences with other Pyrinae S-RNases confirmed that divergence of S-alleles in loquat and the Pyrinae predated speciation. This study reports for the first time the genomic characterization of S-RNases in loquat, providing a sound basis for an appropriate selection of pollinator cultivars and an adequate design of breeding programs.

Analysis of maternal–offspring HLA compatibility, parent‐of‐origin and non‐inherited maternal effects for the classical HLA loci in type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a complex trait for which variation in the classical human leucocyte antigen (HLA) loci within the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) significantly influences disease risk. To date, HLA class II DR-DQ genes confer the strongest known genetic effect in T1D. HLA loci may also influence T1D through additional inherited or non-inherited effects. Evidence for the role of increased maternal-offspring HLA compatibility, and both parent-of-origin (POO) and non-inherited maternal HLA (NIMA) effects in autoimmune disease has been previously established. The current study tested hypotheses that classical HLA loci influence T1D through these mechanisms, in addition to genetic transmission of particular risk alleles. The Type 1 Diabetes Genetics Consortium (T1DGC) cohort was of European descent and consisted of 2271 affected sib-pair families (total n = 11 023 individuals). Class I genes HLA-A, Cw and B, and class II genes HLA-DRB1, DQA1, DQB1, DPA1 and DPB1 were studied. The pedigree disequilibrium test was used to examine transmission of HLA alleles to individuals with T1D. Conditional logistic regression was used to model compatibility relationships between mother-offspring and father-offspring for all HLA loci. POO and NIMA effects were investigated by comparing frequencies of maternal and paternal transmitted and non-transmitted HLA alleles for each locus. Analyses were also stratified by gender of T1D-affected offspring. Strong associations were observed for all classical HLA loci except for DPA1, as expected. Compatibility differences between mother-offspring and father-offspring were not observed for any HLA loci. Furthermore, POO and NIMA HLA effects influencing T1D were not present. Maternal-offspring HLA compatibility, POO and NIMA effects for eight classical HLA loci were investigated. Results suggest that these HLA-related effects are unlikely to play a major role in the development of T1D.

Integrated gas dynamic and thermodynamic computational modeling of multicylinder 4-stroke spark ignition engine using gasoline as a fuel

This paper presents a computational tool for the evaluation of engine performance and exhaust emissions for four stroke multi-cylinder spark ignition engine which uses gasoline as a fuel. Gas dynamics flow in multi-cylinder intake and exhaust systems are modeled by using one-dimensional unsteady compressible flow equations. The hyperbolic partial differential equations are transferred into a set of ordinary differential equations by using method of characteristics and solved by finite difference method. Compatibility relationships between local fluid velocity and sonic velocity are expressed in terms of Riemann variables, which are constant along the position characteristics. The equations are solved numerically by using rectangular grid in the flow direction and time. In this model nitric oxide concentration is predicted by using the rate kinetic model in the power cycle and along the exhaust pipes. Carbon monoxide is computed under chemical equilibrium condition and then empirical adjustment is made for kinetic behaviors based upon experimental results. A good agreement is obtained in the comparison of computed and experimental results of instantaneous cylinder pressure, manifold pressure and temperature, and nitric oxide and carbon monoxide emissions level.

Multiple rescue factors within a Wolbachia strain.

Wolbachia-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) is expressed when infected males are crossed with either uninfected females or females infected with Wolbachia of different CI specificity. In diploid insects, CI results in embryonic mortality, apparently due to the the loss of the paternal set of chromosomes, usually during the first mitotic division. The molecular basis of CI has not been determined yet; however, several lines of evidence suggest that Wolbachia exhibits two distinct sex-dependent functions: in males, Wolbachia somehow "imprints" the paternal chromosomes during spermatogenesis (mod function), whereas in females, the presence of the same Wolbachia strain(s) is able to restore embryonic viability (resc function). On the basis of the ability of Wolbachia to induce the modification and/or rescue functions in a given host, each bacterial strain can be classified as belonging in one of the four following categories: mod(+) resc(+), mod(-) resc(+), mod(-) resc(-), and mod(+) resc(-). A so-called "suicide" mod(+) resc(-) strain has not been found in nature yet. Here, a combination of embryonic cytoplasmic injections and introgression experiments was used to transfer nine evolutionary, distantly related Wolbachia strains (wYak, wTei, wSan, wRi, wMel, wHa, wAu, wNo, and wMa) into the same host background, that of Drosophila simulans (STCP strain), a highly permissive host for CI expression. We initially characterized the modification and rescue properties of the Wolbachia strains wYak, wTei, and wSan, naturally present in the yakuba complex, upon their transfer into D. simulans. Confocal microscopy and multilocus sequencing typing (MLST) analysis were also employed for the evaluation of the CI properties. We also tested the compatibility relationships of wYak, wTei, and wSan with all other Wolbachia infections. So far, the cytoplasmic incompatibility properties of different Wolbachia variants are explained assuming a single pair of modification and rescue factors specific to each variant. This study shows that a given Wolbachia variant can possess multiple rescue determinants corresponding to different CI systems. In addition, our results: (a) suggest that wTei appears to behave in D. simulans as a suicide mod(+) resc(-) strain, (b) unravel unique CI properties, and (c) provide a framework to understand the diversity and the evolution of new CI-compatibility types.

Characterization of self-incompatibility inCampanula rapunculoides(Campanulaceae) through genetic analyses and microscopy

In this paper, we seek to identify the genetic basis of self-incompatibility (SI) in Campanula rapunculoides L. through diallel analysis of full siblings; to characterize the growth of pollen tubes in vivo after incompatible and compatible pollination; and to determine whether the SI system is based on pistil S-RNases. Pollinations were performed among individuals from five diallel crosses and scored for both fruit set and pollen-tube growth to determine the genetic basis of SI. On a subset of these individuals with known cross-(in)compatibility relationships, additional crosses were performed and pistils collected 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 h after pollination to assess both the percentage of pollen grains that had germinated on the stigma, and the number of pollen tubes that had grown 20%, 40% 60%, 80%, and 100% of the distance down the pistil over five time intervals. Finally, total pistillate proteins were extracted and subjected to isoelectric focusing and RNase activity staining to find evidence of a highly basic S-RNases associated with SI in the Solanaceae. We found evidence that the SI system was based on the haplotype of the male gametophyte, and was not sporophytic. Protein analyses showed that SI was not based on a pistillate S-RNase. The existence of modifiers of SI and possible polyploidy at the S-locus complicated the expression of SI in this species, and single-gene inheritance could not be determined. This represents the first published characterization of incompatibility in the family Campanulaceae.

The Use of Antidepressant Medications in Substance Abuse Treatment: The Public-Private Distinction, Organizational Compatibility, and the Environment

Many studies of innovation adoption in health care organizations focus either on organizational characteristics or the institutional environment, but not both. Furthermore, these perspectives are rarely employed simultaneously in both public and private health care organizations. This research considers the public-private distinction, organizational compatibility, and interorganizational referral relationships in the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) by substance abuse treatment organizations. Using data from nationally representative samples of 363 publicly funded and 403 privately funded substance abuse treatment centers, a four-category typology of public and private organizations initially predicted variation in SSRI use. However some differences were no longer significant once organizational and environmental characteristics were added to the statistical model. These data support hypotheses about the associations between organizational characteristics and SSRI use as well as hypotheses regarding the external environment. Future research should continue to integrate both internal and external factors in theoretical explanations of innovation adoption.

Axial-Shear-Flexure Interaction Approach for Reinforced Concrete Columns

This paper modifies the conventional section analysis approach for shear behavior to be applicable for displacement-based evaluation of reinforced concrete columns and beams subjected to shear, flexural, and axial loads. The proposed approach is based on principles of axial-shear-flexure interaction. Shear behavior is modeled by applying the modified compression field theory, and flexure behavior is modeled by employing the conventional section analysis. The mechanisms of shear and flexure are coupled as springs in series, considering axial deformation interaction and concrete strength degradation, and satisfying compatibility and equilibrium relationships. The proposed approach is simplified to enable modeling a reinforced concrete column using a single section analysis with a single shear model for the entire element. The simplified approach is employed for displacement-based analysis of shear- and flexure-dominated reinforced concrete columns previously tested. Analyses are also performed for reinforced concrete columns tested by other authors. In order to verify the new displacement-based approach, analytical results, such as ultimate lateral loads and drifts as well as post-peak responses, were compared and found consistent with experimental data for a series of reinforced concrete columns.

L'effort trenchant dans la modélisation du comportement jusqu' à rupture des pouters en béton armé et précontraint

ABSTRACT An analytical model is presented for predicting complete shear load-deformation response of reinforced or prestressed concrete beams. Equilibrium, compatibility and stress-strain relationships are formulated in term of average stresses and average strains. according to the assumption of smeared cracks. This model is able to analyze sections having unusual forms or reinforcing details, loaded in combined bending, axial load and shear. Predictions of the model are compared with several tests on reinforced or prestressed beams and are shown to give a fair agreement with the experimental behaviour.

Shape sensitivities in the reliability analysis of nonlinear frame structures

A unified and comprehensive treatment of shape sensitivity that includes variations in the nodal coordinates, member cross-section properties, and global shape parameters of inelastic frame structures is presented. A novelty is the consideration of geometric uncertainty in both the displacement- and force-based finite element formulations of nonlinear beam-column behavior. The shape sensitivity equations enable a comprehensive investigation of the relative influence of uncertain geometrical imperfections on structural reliability assessments. For this purpose, finite element reliability analyses are employed with sophisticated structural models, from which importance measures are available. The unified approach presented herein is based on the direct differentiation method and includes variations in the equilibrium and compatibility relationships of frame finite elements, as well as the member cross-section geometry, in order to obtain complete shape sensitivity equations. The analytical shape sensitivity equations are implemented in the OpenSees software framework. Numerical examples involving a steel structure and a reinforced concrete structure confirm that geometrical imperfections may have a significant impact on structural reliability assessments.

Approximation of Electromechanical Stresses in MLC Capacitors Due to Internally Clamped Strains

Internal stresses are calculated in multilayer capacitors due to applied electric fields via axial displacement compatibility relationships. Closed-form solutions are used to depict approximate levels of stresses in the active and margin regions of multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCs) due to applied DC voltages. Normal strains and shear strains are superimposed in order to calculate the approximate internal electromechanical stresses. Principal stresses are determined in the margin region and active regions. Corrections are made for lateral restraint and shearing strains.